GRAEAE-Inaugural New Writing Festival.

Graeae’s New Writing Festival takes place the last weekend in January.

25 & 26 JANUARY 2025

From 10 am

Rich Mix

35-47 Bethnal Green Road London E1 6LA

To foster inclusivity and dialogue around new writing in the UK and highlight the invaluable contributions made by Deaf, Disabled and neurodivergent playwrights to new work, this January Graeae, the UK’s national theatre for Disabled people, is to host an inclusive New Writing Festival. The two-day event will showcase the incredible diversity of storytelling within the Disabled writing community and offer accessible networking opportunities for all attendees, to serve as a vital platform for exchanging ideas, stories, and experiences and enriching an understanding of diverse narratives in the arts.

Taking place over the weekend of 25 and 26 January at Richmix in East London, the festival will include rehearsed readings of full-length plays by talented playwrights Olivier Award Nominee Shahid Iqbal Khan and Lettie Precious, directed by Kate Lovell and Milli Bhatia (seven methods of killing kylie jenner). In addition, we will showcase specially commissioned short plays from emerging voices Jesse Stone, Madeleine Farnhill, and Jordon Grant, directed by Graeae’s Artistic Director Jenny Sealey OBE and former Associate Director Nickie Miles-Wildin. The event will feature a host of performers including Jamael Westman (Hamilton – West End), Alexandra James (Sex Education), Arian Nik (Count Abdulla and Daddy Issues), and Mark Lockyer (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince).

About Graeae

For over 40 years, Graeae has cultivated and championed the best in Deaf, Disabled and neurodivergent talent, locally, nationally and internationally.

Graeae is passionate about igniting artistic curiosity, championing accessibility and providing a platform for new generations of artists through the creation of trail-blazing theatre. It is also a human rights company, founded on the need to tackle social injustice, discrimination and exclusion.

Graeae’s work has been seen in stadiums, theatres, schools, at festivals and streamed online. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet, award-winning Self-Raising, High Times and Dirty Monsters, UK Theatre Award winner The Paradis Files, Kerbs, Olivier Award-nominated 10 Nights and two seasons of the digital new work programme Crips without Constraints. Other work includes the hit Ian Dury musical Reasons to be Cheerful and outdoor spectacles The Iron Man and This Is Not For You. In addition to productions, Graeae also runs an extensive programme of training, learning, and creative professional development programmes. Since 1997, Graeae has been run by Jenny Sealey OBE, who also co-directed the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony.

Artistic Director and Joint CEO: Jenny Sealey OBE. Executive Director and Joint CEO: Kevin Walsh.

Below are a list of the Short Plays:

BIG DOG
By Madeleine Farnhill. Directed by Jenny Sealey.

Set in 18th-century Yorkshire, this play tells the story of a young disabled girl who forms an unexpected bond with a bloodthirsty hound. This gothic folktale delves into themes of female empowerment, societal marginalisation, and the strength found in unconventional alliances.

About the writer:
Madeleine is an award-winning Yorkshire playwright. She trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and is the Writer for Black Bright Theatre. Madeleine primarily writes dark, regional, female-led theatre. Her work has been staged at Bristol Old Vic, The Crucible Playhouse, Liverpool Everyman, Mountview, at the Edinburgh Fringe and in China.

HAUNTED MEAT
By Jordon Grant. Directed by Nickie Miles-Wildin.

In this play, a woman who believes she has no discernible talents faces her final moments. Frustrated, she seeks advice from her caregiver on how to die well, hoping this might be where her true abilities lie. Their interaction leads to a poignant exploration of life, loss, and the humour that often emerges in vulnerable moments.

About the writer:
Jordon is a writer from Billingham. He studied playwriting with Stephen Jeffreys at RADA. The Ever-Changing Sea won the RSC 37Plays competition to mark 400 years since Shakespeare’s first folio. Great Northern Divers made the top 3 in the Theatre Uncut Awards and will have a rehearsed reading directed by Ned Bennett next year.

My Night with El** Mu**
By Jesse Stone. Directed by Nickie Miles-Wildin.

This play follows a trans sex worker named Riley, who discovers that one of her clients is a billionaire tech mogul. It examines how ordinary people can challenge the status quo and drive real change in a society where wealth equals power.

About the writer:
Jesse Stone is a queer crip writer with a lot of feelings. They recently took part in Vital Xposure’s Wellspring Programme, through which they wrote a full-length play about trans-disabled sex and relationships called ‘How to be a dom when you can’t get out of bed.’

Previously, their work has been performed at the VAULT Festival, Paines Plough roundabout, The Courtyard Theatre and Theatre Deli, but they were a different person then.

Rehearsed Readings:
On Saturday

Jinnity
By Shahid Iqbal Khan. Directed by Milli Bhatia.
Co-commissioned by Graeae and the Royal Court Theatre.

In Islamic belief, humans and jinn coexist in parallel realms. Often mistaken for ghosts, jinn are beings made of fire who possess emotions and life experiences similar to those of humans. In Shahid’s play, a mother, desperate to save her daughter from a jinn’s possession, embarks on a supernatural journey to uncover the clues needed for her daughter’s release.

About the writer:

Shahid Iqbal Khan developed his play 10 Nights on the Graeae Write To Play programme. The play opened at Bush Theatre in 2021 (a Graeae-Tamasha co-production). 10 Nights was revived by Phizzical Productions for national tours in 2024 and 2025. Shahid currently has commissions with Almeida Theatre, Octagon Theatre, Paines Plough, Ardent Theatre and BBC Radio 4.

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On Sunday:

12 Letters To My Name
By Lettie Precious. Directed by Kate Lovell.
Co-commissioned by Graeae and English Touring Theatre.

12 Letters To My Name follows the story of Tobi and Jay, two immigrant children growing up in England. It explores their challenges with cultural identity and societal expectations. The narrative highlights their personal journeys and sacrifices as they strive to find a sense of “home” within British society while remaining connected to their roots and understanding themselves.

About the writer:

Lettie Precious (they/them) is a Black British writer. Their writing explores the world as seen through different perspectives, whether queer, Black, non-binary, and/or from those with disabilities.They are currently under commission to the English Touring Theatre & Graeae, and Theatre Centre, and are developing an original feature film with Long Acre / Air Street Films.